Fuse clips and fuse clip assemblies are well known in the art. In the typical fuse clip assembly there is a forward clip for making mechanical and electrical contact with one terminal of the fuse and a second clip, spaced apart from the forward clip, for making electrical and mechanical contact with a second terminal of the fuse. This arrangement serves well for two terminal fuses where electrical current passes through the fuse only while the fuse element is whole or unblown. When the element of such a fuse is overloaded its element opens and the passage of electrical current is stopped.
There is another type of tubular fuse, known as the alarm fuse, which provides a third terminal for making electrical contact with an alarm circuit when the fuse element opens. Thus, additional restraints must be placed on any fuse clip assembly designed to accept such an alarm fuse. These restraints arise from the fact that the fuse body must be held in a fixed position relative to the alarm terminal of the assembly in order to insure proper electrical contact when the fuse is blown. Also, the alarm terminal of the fuse must contact the alarm terminal of the fuse assembly with a force sufficient enough to break through any layer of dirt or oxide that might be on the terminal and with a force sufficient to maintain electrical contact for alarm purposes.
Accordingly, it is an object of our invention to design a fuse clip assembly having three terminals and designed to accept alarm type fuses and to maintain the fuse in a closely controlled mechanical position relative to the alarm terminal.
It is a further object of our invention to design such a fuse clip assembly in a manner which allows the alarm terminal of the fuse to make and hold contact with the assembly alarm terminal when the fuse element has opened.